The Clan Lord Sentinel

Turalyon[DaTz] wrote:I guess I forget what it is a like to post suggestions at the Sentinel.

I'm not criticizing you for a suggestion, I'm criticizing you for deciding on the basis of absolutely zero knowledge that something you don't have the faintest idea how to do is easy.

I don't know how the gift voucher is related at all to this thread. If you want to give someone a "gift" you can send them some money via paypal, and they can use it to buy something.

Lorikeet wrote:I don't know how the gift voucher is related at all to this thread. If you want to give someone a "gift" you can send them some money via paypal, and they can use it to buy something.

DT could issue a code that would give accounts that met the right conditions a free month if used.

- Maeght

Maeght wrote:

Lorikeet wrote:I don't know how the gift voucher is related at all to this thread. If you want to give someone a "gift" you can send them some money via paypal, and they can use it to buy something.

DT could issue a code that would give accounts that met the right conditions a free month if used.

- Maeght

Considering all the problems I had when I was trying to use the "gift" I wonder if the code would work

Lorikeet wrote:Considering all the problems I had when I was trying to use the "gift" I wonder if the code would work

Hey now...I got it working eventually!

For others: I implemented the gift voucher code some time ago. It was tested and everything. Then, when I was working on other stuff, I disabled it so as not to have to troubleshoot two different parts of the code. Of course, when I was done with the first thing, I sorta forgot to turn vouchers back on.

Lorikeet worked diligently with me to get it working again. It's now working okay.

Eldon can I recruit you for WoW so I can get a zebra mount?

The gift voucher system does seem related. It allows people who have received a voucher to create an account and start playing without paying any money because someone else paid. That someone else could be DT, giving away a free month of play as a promotional demo. You sign up, agree to the TOS, confirm your email address, and you get a voucher code. Am I missing something?

Torin wrote:You sign up, agree to the TOS, confirm your email address, and you get a voucher code. Am I missing something?

I can confirm an infinite number of email addresses, so that sounds great for me. I'll sell you a dollar's worth of vouchers for fifty cents.

Skirwan wrote:

Torin wrote:You sign up, agree to the TOS, confirm your email address, and you get a voucher code. Am I missing something?

I can confirm an infinite number of email addresses, so that sounds great for me. I'll sell you a dollar's worth of vouchers for fifty cents.

I anticipate Legolas0001, Legolas0002, Legolas0003... heh.

Eldon wrote:

Skirwan wrote:

Torin wrote:You sign up, agree to the TOS, confirm your email address, and you get a voucher code. Am I missing something?

I can confirm an infinite number of email addresses, so that sounds great for me. I'll sell you a dollar's worth of vouchers for fifty cents.

I anticipate Legolas0001, Legolas0002, Legolas0003... heh.

I was actually thinking Skyrwan, Skaerwin, Scurwyn, Ckirwan... Legion of Skirwans ftw!

It would be awesome if CL had that problem. As it stands, the problem CL has is in the opposite direction.

Skirwan, so how do you have a demo system without a credit card and which isn't as lame as Agratis? Is it really the case that this is some unique problem in the history of the universe, which requires years to solve? Don't other games have free-to-play demos without a CC?

Torin wrote:Skirwan, so how do you have a demo system without a credit card and which isn't as lame as Agratis? Is it really the case that this is some unique problem in the history of the universe, which requires years to solve? Don't other games have free-to-play demos without a CC?

Single player games often (although less often lately) have free-to-play demos without a credit card. Some multiplayer games have free-to-play demos w/o CC (Enemy Territory: Quake Wars was one I tried recently, for example). Rarely do persistent world games have free-to-play demos, because of the potential for abuse.

Several years ago, when I tried out some of the other MMOGs out there, the majority of them required a credit card #, although they didn't charge unless you kept playing past your free demo stage.

IMO, the way to implement this is:

0) Make a creating a new account free with purchase of your first month of gameplay (if you don't want to try the demo for some reason).
1) Keep the Agratis system in place for "I just want to see what this game looks like" types. And "I don't want to give my credit card to anyone unless I'm really buying something" types.
2) Add new demo system that costs $0, but requires a credit card to complete activation.
a) Keep a log of "seen" credit cards on the billing system database (encrypted, of course. :)). If a credit card that's entered matches an existing one in that list, don't allow them to order the demo account.
b) Validates the CC#, makes sure it's a real credit card. If it's not, don't allow them to order a demo account.
c) It creates a new account, creates a single character slot.
d) Sets the expiration date on the account to one month and a day from today.
e) Turns autobilling to NO by default (so the CC # is not accidentally billed for more time if they quit after a day)
f) Activates the account. :)

Basically, let people download the client and poke around in it for free without any worries about credit cards being stolen or whatnot. Give new accounts with one month away for free to unique people. Best effort on unique people; nothing is perfect, this only reduces the # of new accounts you can get to the # of valid credit cards you can get your hands on (which is hopefully less than 5-10).

Maeght wrote:

Lorikeet wrote:I don't know how the gift voucher is related at all to this thread. If you want to give someone a "gift" you can send them some money via paypal, and they can use it to buy something.

DT could issue a code that would give accounts that met the right conditions a free month if used.

- Maeght

That's what my idea was, I'm glad someone picked it up.

I don't know how to confirm, but every game I've ever touched online requires a CC so CL wouldn't be breaking any norms doing that.

Good suggestions mrfancypants... that's pretty much what I was hoping for.

Torin wrote:Skirwan, so how do you have a demo system without a credit card and which isn't as lame as Agratis? Is it really the case that this is some unique problem in the history of the universe, which requires years to solve? Don't other games have free-to-play demos without a CC?

Does it require years to solve? No, coming up with a good-enough approach is relatively easy, provided you stop and think through things. But if you look MrFP's outline (which is roughly how I'd do it, personally) you're looking at a good chunk of new code, all of which will need to be designed, written, and tested very thoroughly.

It's not that it's a new problem, nor that it's a new solution, it's that it's a long road from the high level "here's what I want it to do" to the "here's how it's going to work" to the "it's done, let's test it" to "okay, I'll trust it with my credit card number now".